The present invention relates to improved apparatus for the controlled dispensing of seeds in an agricultural environment such as the interseeding of a pasture containing fescue and bermuda or the like.
Numerous devices have been developed heretofore for the application of seed from a hopper or other container. Such devices operate to attempt to dispense seed in a controlled pattern, to deposit the seed in a particular location, to deposit only a predetermined quantity of seed, or the like. Improved seeding operations can result over manual broadcast of seed or manual deposition of seed into a furrow. Furthermore, such seeding implements have heretofore been employed in conjunction with various types of soil tilling equipment with the equipment being towed by a tractor or other motive power source. Operations have thus been more efficiently and more effectively conducted to deposit a quantity of seed in a particular location. All of the above noted devices have been desirable from the standpoint of economy and efficiency.
Exemplary of the types of prior art seeding devices mentioned above are those disclosed in the below listed U.S. Pat. Nos.: 13,151, 2,628,000, 20,547, 2,857,864, 173,495, 2,947,450, 431,647, 3,155,293, 431,841, 3,815,527, 479,998, 3,927,400, 2,334,376.
In addition to the devices disclosed in the above listed patents, a particular combined implement has been known in which a seeder implement is combined with a renovator, the combined implements being equipped with a three-way hitch for operative association with a tractor. The renovator includes a plurality of spaced apart renovator shanks having a toe plate that digs furrows into the soil, ripping the sod and root mass along lines determined by location of the shanks. The seeder is secured behind the shanked renovator and includes a single hopper having diamond-shaped openings across the bottom of the hopper. The diamond-shaped openings may be varied in size by means of an adjustment gauge whereby the dispensing opening may be adapted for a particular type seen and/or a particular quantity of seed per acre to be dispensed. The seeder is further supported by wheels that follow the terrain and also turn a horizontally disposed, ribbed agitator rod that extends along the inside of the hopper, stirring seed to permit dispensing without bridging.
With the devices of the prior art noted above, certain problems continue to exist, both insofar as particular placement of the seed and in controlling the quantity of seed being dispensed. By way of example, in upgrading pasture land, it is a common practice to periodically renovate the pasture and to interseed clover among existing fescue, coastal Bermuda or the like. A significant quantity of nitrogen per acre may be added by the clover while at the same time producing high quality forage for consumption by animals feeding on the pasture. Particularly, a good stand of clover can add up to about 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre each year when interseeded across a pasture at rates as low as 2 pounds of clover seed per acre of pasture. Clover seeds are both quite small and quite expensive. Due to the very small size of the clover seed, it is difficult to meter same accurately during the seeding process such that rates as low as two pounds can be deposited across an acre of land. Though the combination renovator-seeder alluded to above is stated to have the capability of controlled deposition of seeds and/or fertilizer from 21/2 pounds per acre to 100 pounds per acre, the present invention represents definite improvement over same. Particularly, though certain advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention, the present invention affords the capability of very accurate metering of the quantity of seed being deposited, permits the deposition of the seed at a precise location, enables the operator to at all times remain cognizant of proper feeding conditions, permits the interseeding of a plurality of types of seeds from adjacent hoppers, and the like. Moveover, the present invention is neither taught nor suggested by the prior art, including that referred to above.